Online Life After Death

When someone dies, what happens to their Facebook, email, gaming or other online accounts?

Some forward-thinking people are actually writing new wills with this consideration in mind. Some are leaving their Facebook accounts open - to be tended by a friend or relative - so that on certain occasions, like a birthday, they can send a message from the great beyond. Some leave detailed shutdown and messaging orders along with their account names, web addresses, and passwords.

Sadly, a guy I went to high school with died about a year and a half ago. But his Facebook account is still open, and on his birthday this year a bunch of nieces and nephews left messages for him. It was a nice tribute.

I bring this up because my electronic calendar just pinged to remind me that my Aunt Marie's birthday is this Thursday. She died two years ago, and the calendar pinged last year too, but I couldn't bring myself to delete it. I had it set two days in advance so I would have time to call her. I'm going to leave it that way.